Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the five urban regions of Brazil—the Brazilian COPCORD study (BRAZCO)

Abstract

The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSK-S) in the five urban geographical regions of Brazil using the Portuguese version of the Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) core questionnaire (CQ)-BRAZCO study. From April to May 2013, a population-based survey was conducted by applying the CQ for 5000 individuals aged over 15 years in 16 capitals of the Brazilian regions. Trained teams assessed the MSK-S and socioeconomic status. The sample consisted of representative quotas of the Brazilian population, proportional to the capitals' population density. It respected the groups' quotas of gender and age and included all socioeconomic classes, educational levels, and occupations. There were 1342 (26.9 %) participants who presented MSK-S unrelated to trauma in 7 days preceding the interview. A higher prevalence of these complaints were in females (65.2 %), elderly people, in the north region of the country (30.7 %), and a lower prevalence was found in single individuals (41.7 %) and in the south (23.3 %). The most frequent pain sites were the spine (76.7 %) and knees (49.6 %), and the mean pain intensity was 6.8 (VAS). The BRAZCO study shows that Brazilian population presents a higher rate of MSK-S unrelated to trauma than many Asian countries. These results can be applied to guide the assessment of prevalence of rheumatic diseases. Additionally, it can help in the design of policies for health care workforce organization and its accessibility, as well as to reduce the risk of rheumatic diseases at the community level.

Epidemiology of rheumatic diseases in Iran from analysis of four COPCORD studies

“…Twenty countries have participated up to now in the COPCORD project. They are, alphabetically, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, China, Cuba, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam…”

Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal conditions and associated factors in Brazilian adults – National Health Survey

“…Data from the 2008 PNAD show that approximately 19% of self-reported chronic diseases were rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases and spinal problems [ 13 ]. Prior studies have pointed a 30.9% prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases in Minas Gerais state [ 15 ], while other study with a sample of 5000 individuals in 16 of Brazil’s state capitals estimated the prevalence of CMCs unrelated to trauma at 12.8% [ 17 ]. The differences in the estimated prevalence of these studies may be explained by the methodologies applied, the musculoskeletal conditions definitions, the measurement instruments used and the population sample.…”

“…A more recent population-based survey, also applying the COPCORD questionnaire, involved 5000 adults from the five Brazilian geographic regions. Among 1342 (26.9%) participants who presented musculoskeletal symptoms unrelated to trauma in 7 days preceding the interview, the spine was the most frequent pain site involved (76.7%) [ 17 ].…”

Chikungunya in Colombia: a description of an epidemic within the framework of a COPCORD study

“…In 2014, the Colombian Rheumatology Association starts the endeavour of establishing the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in the country, since there was a lack of information in this area and the data was needed to improve its impact in public health. The chosen epidemiologic strategy designed to identify rheumatic diseases in Colombia was the Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD), which has been proven effective in other Latin American countries [1–9].…”